social justice

by Travis

If you want to read a take on social justice issues in the series that is polar opposite of my own – but is a good read from the other point of view – Mary has a new essay up at her livejournal.  Mary finds Rowling terribly lacking in her portrayal of social justice issues, having something of an uncritical habit of accepting the white, middle class norms of her 19th century literary favorites.  

I’m of the opposite opinion – that Rowling has written a very nuanced view of many social justice issues, that much of what people think is prejudice in Rowling’s part is really her commitment to portraying social justice issues in all their vast, ugly complexity, and that she embraces a Fabian gradualism, paired with a libertarian respect for free will, which does not satisfy modern and postmodern revolutionaries.  All of this is spelled out in detail in my book.

But in the meantime, do read Mary’s essay, 19th Century Mores.  Like I said, it’ll give the other point of view, with which I know some readers here agree.  We’ve had some pretty heated debates along these lines in the past, but Mary’s essay is a well-written example of the position opposite my own; I may interact with it in a forthcoming podcast.

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